Unclaimed funds from class action lawsuit funneled to non-profit, thanks to legal work from established Colorado law firm.

DENVER - March 2, 2017 - Rezul -- Law firm names "Towards Justice" as recipient of Cy Pres funds. In two recent Colorado court decisions district court judges have approved the payment of unclaimed funds in wage and hour class actions to a Colorado non-profit that provides legal services to low-wage workers who have not been paid what they are owed under the wage and hour laws.

The Sawaya Law Firm represented the plaintiffs in both lawsuits. In each — one from a state court and another from a federal district court — the judges recently ordered that the payments to class members who could not be located will be paid to the Denver, Colorado, non-profit organization, Towards Justice. Towards Justice litigates and educates workers and the community about employment rights, wage theft, how to defend against exploitation, and how to seek legal relief when wages are not paid as the law requires.

So what makes this settlement a big deal? Typically in class action settlements, unclaimed funds are given back to the at-fault company. Such claims usually involve lawsuits for unpaid overtime, failure to pay the minimum wage, and for time worked off-the-clock or through rest breaks where no wages are paid for time worked. Instead of those unclaimed funds going back to the defendants, on Friday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at the offices of Towards Justice, David H. Miller, the lead class action attorney for the plaintiffs in both of the cases, will be presenting checks totaling approximately $8,500 in unclaimed funds to the Executive Director of Towards Justice, Nina DiSalvo, to help support the work Towards Justice does in assisting low wage workers to be paid what they are owed.

Why would one of the most successful law firms in Colorado orchestrate a donation of this size to a non-profit organization like Towards Justice? The truth is inspiring. The Sawaya Law Firm not only handles personal injury, work comp, and social security cases, but has operated a successful Wage and Hour class action department for several years. The Wage and Hour team fights for groups of workers who have been denied the pay that the law requires.

Headed by attorney David H. Miller, former Legal Director for the ACLU of Colorado, the Wage and Hour team's approach to legal work reflects their values. "In the U.S., if we mean what we say about the need to increase the number of American jobs and support the working class, then employers must pay their workers the wages they are owed," said Miller. "We proudly represent those many workers who have little power within our system; to see to it that they are paid what the law says is theirs."

Rewarding the wrong-doing employer that has kept inaccurate or incomplete information so that the former workers cannot be located has frequently resulted in class action money being returned to the employer. Miller explained that such a practice of rewarding the wrong-doer is not fair. "The employer should not benefit from taking money meant to be paid to the missing class member and keeping it for themselves." That kind of result encourages wrong-doing employers to mistreat their workers. "We all want more jobs for workers," said Miller, "but if employers are not paying what they owe then they are cheating those who do the work that makes our economy strong and our country successful."

"I hope these donations encourage other attorneys to adopt this same approach in the lawsuits they are bringing so that money from class action judgments and settlements stops going back to the wrong-doers," says Miller. "We're spearheading this effort to strengthen Colorado's working communities, so that through the work Towards Justice does we can help others who are not directly our clients but who are also being treated unfairly at work."

Time and location: The presentation will be held at Towards Justice at 1:30 p.m. Friday afternoon, March 3, 2017 — 1535 High Street, Suite 300, Denver, CO 80214.

About Sawaya Law Firm – The Sawaya Law Firm is a personal injury law firm based in Denver, CO. Founded in 1977 by Michael Sawaya, the firm runs on a set of 12 Core Values, is well known for its Free Cab Program, and is partnered with the Colorado Department of Transportation to defeat distracted driving.Find out more at - http://www.sawayalaw.com